Buon Giorno! This morning we arrived in Italy! Livorno to be exact! Italy's third largest seaport. The port city for Pisa, Florence and the Tuscan region! Our tour of choice - Pisa! Gotta see "The Field of Miracles"!

The Leaning Tower of Pisa or simply The Tower of Pisa (La Torre di Pisa) is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. It is situated behind the cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa's Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) after the Duomo (cathedral) and the Baptistery of Giovanni.

Although intended to stand vertically, the tower began leaning to the southeast soon after the onset of construction in 1173 due to a poorly laid foundation and loose substrate that has allowed the foundation to shift direction. The tower presently leans to the southwest

Our tour, called Easy Pisa, was a short 3.5 hour tour that took us by guided motor coach from Livorno to the center of Pisa. On the way, Elsie noticed a group of cyclists, riding toward Livorno, seemingly enjoying the perfect conditions for a Sunday morning ride! In Pisa, we had time to visit the Field of Miracle which includes the Leaning (Bell)Tower, Duomo, Baptistery of Giovanni and Camposanto. Surrounding much of Pisa are the Medieval City Walls.

A trolley took us through Pisa center toward the Arno River which divides the city. We passed by the Gothic Church della Spina, the old port, the Town Hall, and the Piazza dei Cavalieri. A short stop at a local restaurant near the Field of Miracles offered a drink of Tuscan area wine. Here, we couldn't pass on purchasing a bottle of local Limoncello which we thought we would enjoy while relaxing on our balcony!

Back on the Ruby, we had time to relax on the Sun Deck. It was a very warm afternoon, in the high 20's so a relaxing couple hours seemed in order! Being a tourist can be exhausting!

We made sure we had dinner early as the final show of the Broadway Ballroom was in the Princess Theatre at 8:30pm. This show rivaled a very high level performance as the show featured the talents of the choreographer and costume designer from the tv hit series "Dancing with the Stars".

Before retiring, we enjoyed a late evening glass of Limoncello on our balcony with the dimmly lit Italian coastline appearing to move slowly northward as the Ruby quietly but sternly cut a southern path through the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Tomorrow, we'll see ya in the port city of Civitavecchia, the gateway to Rome!